Brand consultancy
We decide what a brand means before we decide how it looks. Diagnostic, mythic core and symbolic system for brands that want to stop competing for attention and start being chosen.
What a brand consultancy does
An agency works on the how: campaigns, assets, content, media. A brand consultancy works on the what and the why: what the brand means, what place it holds in the culture of its category, what it promises and what it gives up. The result isn't a single piece of work. It's the criteria for producing a thousand consistent ones.
If your brand knows exactly what it is and needs volume, what you're looking for is an agency. If your team argues over every piece because nobody knows what the brand is and isn't, the problem is a lack of criteria. That's consultancy.
Our method
Four moves, always in this order:
- Diagnose. Culture, category and desire. Where the brand stands, what surrounds it, what people are asking for.
- Mythic core. The story, emotion or gesture that turns the brand into a symbol. The centre everything else flows from.
- Design. A living system. Symbols, language and rituals the organisation repeats every day.
- Activate. Believers, not customers. People who defend the brand as part of their identity.
It's the logic of brand symbolism: form follows meaning, never the other way round.
What comes out of it
Depending on what each brand needs, the work takes the form of one or more of these:
- Brand book. The criteria in writing, so the organisation can apply them without us.
- Visual system. Identity, colour, typography and codes, derived from the core and not from fashion.
- Rebranding. When the brand already exists and needs correcting, sharpening or rewriting without losing what is already its own.
- Touchpoints. Where and how the symbol repeats, from physical space to packaging.
- Audiovisual production. The pieces that carry the symbol onto the screen.
How we work
- Diagnosis first, proposal second. We don't show solutions in the first meeting: that would be showing a template.
- Explicit decision points. The process has gates: moments set in advance where you decide whether to go on.
- The person who presents it is the person who thought it through. No layers between whoever does the thinking and whoever tells you about it. Meet the team.
- Criteria, not dependence. When we're done, you should be able to decide without calling us.
Who we've worked with
Since 1992, in Madrid and beyond. Carlos Frontera, our founder, has worked with Coca-Cola, Philip Morris, Chanel and Johnnie Walker, among many others. A complete project, from diagnosis to the venue itself, is told in the La Negra Tomasa case study.
Who it makes sense for
- Brands with a solid product that compete on price because they don't know what makes them different.
- Companies entering a new stage: an expansion, a succession, a rebrand.
- Teams that argue over every piece because the brand has no written criteria.
And who it isn't for: if what you need is campaign or media volume, you're better off with an agency. We'll tell you so in the first conversation.
Frequently asked questions
How much does brand consultancy cost?
It depends on the scope, and we don't quote blind: the price comes from the scope, not the other way round. That's what the diagnostic is for.
How long does it take?
As long as the decisions take. Each proposal sets its dates and approval points before we start.
Do you work outside Madrid?
Yes. We're based in Madrid and work with brands from any country.
Do you do campaigns?
No. We design the system that makes any campaign, whoever runs it, pull in the same direction. That's the difference between branding and marketing.